Live Review: Kraftwerk at Keller Auditorium, 9/19

The lights went off. A warbling, unintelligible robotic voice called out from the darkness, slowly switching to the familiar “Ein zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht.” And that’s when it started to get loud. The numbers one through eight rendered in Matrix-esque neon green appeared on the screen, rippling and undulating in 3D rendering, as the propulsive drumbeat grew louder. “Numbers” isn’t just one of Kraftwerk’s best-known songs, it’s also a certified banger. The four members of the seminal electronic group stood in body suits with dimensional rendering straight out of the Vectrex, tinkering away on instruments-turned-podiums. Beginning with a Computer World suite, Kraftwerk worked its way through its highly influential discography over the course of the two-hour set. At times being seated felt like a hindrance—”Aerodynamik” all but commands you to dance—but it helped draw attention to the concert film. During “Spacelab,” I could do nothing but sit quietly, fully captivated by the alien flying through a space station and eventually land outside Keller Auditorium. But the highlight was when the lights went out again. When they came back on, Kraftwerk had been replaced by automated mannequins wearing matching red shirts, grey slacks and black ties. That’s right: I got to see “Robots” performed by robots in Portland in 2015. Now I am as happy as a little girl. 

All photos by Colin McLaughlin.

WWeek 2015